Is emotional eating a problem of concern among adolescents in poor countries? An example from Sudan
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Abdulrahman O. Musaiger
,
Fatima O. Nabag
Abstract
Objective:
Although emotional eating is positively associated with serious health problems such as obesity and eating disorders, it is rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of emotional eating among urban adolescents in Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world.
Methods:
A multistage stratified sampling method was used to select adolescents aged 14–18 years from governmental schools in Khartoum State, the capital of Sudan. The total sample selected was 945 (507 males, 438 females). A self-reported validated questionnaire was used to collect the data.
Results:
Of the males, 57% eat mostly or sometimes while watching television, compared with 62% of females (p<0.036). Females were more likely to eat when angered than males (9.6% and 5.7%, eat mostly when angered, respectively, p<0.02). There were no statistically significant differences between males and females regarding eating late at night, eating when bored and eating when anxious.
Conclusion:
The findings revealed that emotional eating is a growing problem among urban adolescents in Sudan. This creates the need to incorporate emotional eating in any prevention plan to promote healthy eating among these adolescents.
Authors’ participation: AOM and FON participated in designing the study. FON supervised collecting the data. MAA analyzed the data. AOM prepared the first draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final draft.
Conflict of interest statement:The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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- Follow-up and outcomes of pregnancies in French Guiana: the part of teenage pregnancies
- Prevalence and risk factors for traumatic dental injuries in adolescent children attending special needs schools in India: a comparative study
- Prevalence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender among Japanese university students: a single institution survey
- Personality differences in treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking individuals with self-reported anorexia
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- Is emotional eating a problem of concern among adolescents in poor countries? An example from Sudan
